Man brain-dead after Wyoming officer-involved shooting, family says

WYOMING, Ohio (WXIX) - An investigation is underway into a police-involved shooting in Wyoming overnight, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and Wyoming police.

A man told FOX19 NOW early Monday that his 28-year-old nephew, Joe Frasure, was shot in the backyard of an apartment building on Durrell Avenue after a report of a break-in and taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

The family said Monday evening Frasure had died at UCMC. They later clarified he is brain dead and legally dead but remains on life support pending the execution of certain documents.

Just before 8 a.m. Monday, Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey and Wyoming Police Chief Brooke Brady put out a joint statement with new details.

They said three Wyoming officers in all initially responded to 320 Durrell Avenue in Wyoming “for a possible burglary” around 12:40 a.m.

“They encountered two subjects in the rear of the residence, where commands were given but ignored and one subject entered into a vehicle, not obeying commands to stop,” the joint statement reads.

“The subject who entered the vehicle was attempting to flee the scene in a hurry. As the subject was trying to leave the scene, he almost struck an officer from the Wyoming Police department with the vehicle, causing that officer and another officer on scene to fire their duty weapons at the subject, striking him.

“Fire and EMS were called and the subject was taken to the University Hospital Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition. The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office was requested to handle this investigation. That is all we have to release at this time.”

Wyoming police added more details in another statement released Monday night:

“Police officers arrived at the residence and encountered possible suspects in the rear of the property related to the reported burglary. The individuals disregarded repeated commands from the officers.

“One suspect was in a motor vehicle and attempted to leave the scene. The fleeing suspect then accelerated the vehicle toward the officers after which the officers defended themselves by discharging their service weapons in an attempt to stop the approaching vehicle. One suspect was injured and taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.”

Frasure’s family says he was at the Durrell Avenue address because that’s where his grandmother lived. The family says Frasure went there to help his sister clear out their grandmother’s apartment after her death three weeks ago.

“He was going through a tough time over her passing and he was there to help his little sister clean out the place and someone made a bogus call about a burglary,” Frasure’s uncle, Art Tucker, claims.

The 28-year-old’s mother, Lisa Fischer says officers could have shot the van’s tires and not towards her son.

“That’s my son. They didn’t have to shoot him in the head,” Fischer said.

The case is now in the hands of the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutor Melissa Powers will decide if any charges will be filed against the officers who fired their weapons.

Any additional updates about this incident will come from them, according to a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office.

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